10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

The Hon. Dinindu Saman

3 March 2025 ·Oral question: Oral Question: Gem-Mining Permits (Q.1/2025)

Corruption & Governance ReformEnvironment
AI summary generated by gpt-5.5

Hon. Dinindu Saman raised concerns about licensed and unlicensed mining in Badulla, alleging past political interference, environmental damage, and social tensions in villages. He asked whether the Ministry would establish a proper regulatory process for future mining activities, including recommendations from Divisional Secretaries and better coordination among relevant authorities.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Mr. Deputy Minister, due to political deterioration in past periods, there have been both licensed and unlicensed mining operations in Badulla, with direct political interference. This caused environmental damage and even social disharmony in villages. In some places, even Grama Niladharis and Divisional Secretaries are unaware whether mines are licensed. Previous police actions were politically influenced. Will the Ministry establish a proper process, obtaining recommendations from Divisional Secretaries and ensuring coordination for future mining activities?

Provenance

Source
Hansard, Monday, 3 March 2025 ·No. 1742268353096939 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Page · column
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Permalink
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Cite as: The Hon. Dinindu Saman. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 3 March 2025. No. 1742268353096939. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/18325